‘The Great Living Chola Temples’ is the name given to a group of three architectural wonders built in the Medieval Chola period, that remain intact till date at Thanjavur, TamilNadu. These three temples, viz., Brihadiswara (<click), Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram (<click) are unique for their dravidian architecture, advanced scientific knowledge and incredible artistic skills. I think you may please go through the story of Raja Raja Chola and the mighty Brihadiswara Temple built by him, before reading this page. Rajendra Chola-I (இராசேந்திர சோழன் 1012-1044 AD, son of the Great Rajaraja-I) who ventured into the North of India upto the Ganga river and brought the water back with him was known as Gangaikondacholan ( The Chola who brought Ganga) . Having one of the best Naval armies of their time, Rajendra started expanding his father’s Kingdom further across the oceans. He was one of the most famous Chola Kings whose Kingdom spread across most parts of Southern India and regions in Northern India like Kalinga (current day Orissa), Bihar, Bengal/Bangladesh, foreign areas like Sri Lanka, Burma, , Bali, Java, Sumatra, Kadaram (now Kedah in Malaysia) and Cambodia. The Hindu traditions being followed in Indonesia and Angkor Wat temples in Combodia are the […]

‘The Great Living Chola Temples’ is the name given to a group of three architectural wonders built in the Medieval Chola period, that remain intact till date at Thanjavur, TamilNadu. These three temples, viz., Brihadiswara, Gangaikondacholapuram (<click) and Darasuram (<click) are unique for their dravidian architecture, advanced scientific knowledge and incredible artistic skills. During my journeys through the reminiscences of Chola empire, I could witness the birth, growth and death of a dynasty that ruled almost all of Southern India for the longest duration. Though the exact origin of Chola dynasty is not known, it is believed that they were contemporaries of Ashoka during 300BC and continued the reign until 1279 AD. Like most of the remarkable civilizations built around rivers, Chola land was also developed around the Kaveri river basin and their glorious past is still evident from the mighty temples they left behind in the region. Raja Raja Cholan and his son Rajendra Cholan were the most prominent among them all who marked the golden period during the 460 years of Chola rule. Cholas possessed one of the best Naval powers of their time and that helped them conquer the Northern half of SriLanka in 996 AD . […]

Let’s embark on a time machine… It is going to be a journey back into the past to witness history spanning 5000 years or more. The story begins with river Pampa (Tungabhadra), the lifeline of a great civilization that existed in the southern state of Karnataka in India. Anegundi is a peaceful little village situated just opposite to Hampi, on the northern bank of river Tungabhadra; a place where evolution, history, mythology and folklore co-exist. Anegundi (or Anegondi, ಆನೆಗುಂದಿ/ಆನೆಗೊಂದಿ) is a Kannada word which means “Elephant pit”. It was the early capital of Vijayanagara empire, before it got shifted to Hampi. It was probably named after the king’s elephant stables originally located here. Read more about Hampi & Vijayanagara empire here >> As per earth scientists, the rock formations in this area could be 3000 Million years old, making it one of the oldest plateaus on our planet. That means it was one of the first places to get solidified during earth’s cooling process. Traces of early human settlements have been located in certain parts of Anegundi. Neolithic (Stone-age) burial grounds and primitive cave paintings found here attract research students, historians and geologists alike. You may please go through my blog […]

A river constitutes the blood and veins of a country. Most of the ancient civilizations formed and developed on the banks of rivers and so was the history of Vijayanagara empire. Once you dig deep into the history of this place, it turns to folklore and refers back to mythology as well. The river Pampa was the lifeline of a great civilization that existed in the southern state of Karnataka in India. Traces of early settlements could be found on the Northern side of river (Anegundi) that points to the epic Ramayana and the monkey kingdom Kishkindha. Read about Anegundi here >> Southern banks of the river witnessed a series of battles and events that date back to the period of Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BC). Kannada word Hampe was derived from Pampa and in turn called Hampi due to British influence. River Pampa is known as Tungabhadra now, which still flows silently between the ruins of Vijayanagara empire. That arouses the curiosity of every traveler. What would have led to the decline of such a great empire ? Tunga & Bhadra rivers originate from Western Ghats, pass through the plains of Karnataka until they merge together 150 Kms down east, […]

Name of the Hoysala empire comes from Kannada folklore that tells the story of a young man called Sala who fights and kills a lion (or tiger) to save his Master Sudatta. “Hoy, Sala” in Kannada language means “Strike Sala” which became the name of the dynasty he founded. The pictorial representation of this incident became the emblem of Hoysala empire too. A statue of Sala fighting the lion welcomes you at the entrance of Chennakesava temple at Belur. The temple was built during the rule of Vishnuvardhana of the Hoysala dynasty in 12th Century AD. According to the legend, Chief Architects of Chennakeshava Temple were ‘Amarashilpi Jakanacharya’ and his son ‘Dankanacharya’. Please go through my detailed article on the history of Belur & Halebid by clicking here. Chennakesava temple is well-known for extremely fine carvings, sculptures and motifs on its outer walls. The most famous and exquisite ones among these are the 42 well-carved bracket figures known as Madanikas (Chaste Maidens or Salabhanjikas). 38 of these are placed outside the temple while 4 of them could be found inside. Vishnuvardhana’s Queen Shantala Devi was considered to be the epitome of perfect feminine beauty and the Madanika sculptures were crafted by portraying the queen […]

Belur (ಬೇಲೂರು) was the early capital of Hoysala Empire. Halebidu is located 16 km away from Belur, both belong to the Hassan district and among the major tourist destinations in Karnataka. Belur is situated by the banks of river Yagachi, a tributary of river Kaveri . It is around 222 Km from Bangalore. The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakesava temple, which is famous for its exquisite carvings and Hoysala workmanship. ‘Chenna’ Kesava literally means ‘Handsome Vishnu’ who is the main deity of this temple, being worshipped in the centre of the temple complex, surrounded by Kappe Chennigraya temple and a few other shrines. The temple was built by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE, to commemorate his victory over the Cholas at Talakkad . (read about Talakkad here). Legend has it that the construction of this temple took 103 years. This style of detailed and intricate carving is typical to the Hoysala temples of Karnataka and it portrays scenes from Hindu mythology as well as the contemporary culture, art forms and weaponry. The material used for carving is known as Soapstone (Green schist) which gives them the incredible finish . The soft version of soapstone could be shaped even using our […]